BJ Penn has had a change of heart. Another challenge awaits at lightweight after all.

After stopping Jens Pulver in June in his first bout at lightweight in nearly four years, Penn said no other fighter at 155 pounds could motivate him like longtime-rival Pulver.

The 29-year-old Hawaiian was eyeing a return to welterweight and a third fight with Matt Hughes. While Penn still covets a crack at Hughes, who evened their personal series at a victory apiece with a win at UFC 63 last year, a shot at another title will keep him at lightweight a while longer.

"It's all about getting that lightweight title right now," said Penn (12-4-1), who held the UFC welterweight crown in 2004 after beating Hughes in their first battle.

"Joe Stevenson isn't the big name like Hughes or (Georges) St. Pierre, but it's all about getting the title. I really want to be the first guy to have a belt in the lightweight and welterweight divisions."

Penn will face Stevenson (32-7) next month at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England, in a bout originally slated to be for the interim title at 155 pounds while Sean Sherk's championship status was decided. The interim tag was removed earlier this month when the California State Athletic Commission upheld a reduced suspension for Sherk for a positive steroid test. The UFC subsequently stripped Sherk of the title.

Sherk's link to steroids has been an intriguing part of the backdrop to the Penn-Stevenson bout, with UFC president Dana White stating that Sherk will get an opportunity to reclaim his belt by facing the winner of the fight next year.

Penn has been critical of Sherk, suggesting there should be a separate division for fighters found cheating, and intimated that he wouldn't fight Sherk if Sherk's suspension were upheld. While Penn has backed away from those comments and now says he will entertain a fight with the former champion, he continues to take his shots.

"That's what he is; he's a 'roider, huh?" said Penn, who has been outspoken in his opposition to performance-enhancing drugs in the sport.

"The guy has been cheating for how many years? At least everybody knows now what everybody had suspected the whole time.

"But honestly, I can't worry about Sean Sherk right now. I can't look past Joe Stevenson. I've got to beat him, or there won't be any fight with Sean Sherk, there won't be any fight with Matt Hughes.

"As far as Sherk goes, he's going to have to sit on the side and wait while the two people fight for the real lightweight championship, not the 'steroid championship.' "

Penn and Stevenson headline UFC 80, the promotion's first show of 2008, set for Jan. 19.

Two straight for Edwards

Conroe's Yves Edwards made it two wins in as many months by submitting Alonzo Martinez in the second round in a featured matchup at HDNet Fights 2 on Saturday night in Dallas.

Martinez came out aggressively in round one and took the fight to Edwards, landing the more effective shots and controlling most of the action on the ground. However, Edwards changed the flow of the fight in the second with a left hand that dropped Martinez. The punch helped set up a rear-naked choke that forced Martinez to tap out at 3:04 of the round.

After a three-fight losing streak, Edwards closed the year with two straight victories, winning debuts in EliteXC and HDNet Fights. This latest win was an emotional one for the 31-year-old, who was fighting for the first time since the death of Sam Vasquez.

"To everybody, it is a death in mixed martial arts; but to me, it was a friend of mine who died," said Edwards, who helped train Vasquez.

"I think about that every day. A lot of what I do when I fight now is think about Sammy. He was the kind of guy who worked a lot of hours during the day and made his (training) time before and after work.

"He would come in and help me get ready when other people couldn't. I think about him a lot."

Edwards (30-13-1) expects to be back in the ring in February with his second EliteXC bout.